EU to draw new sanctions against Syria

BRUSSELS - The European Union (EU) will adopt more sanctions against Syria, said a senior EU foreign affairs official on Friday.

Pierre Vimont, Executive Secretary General of the European External Action Service (EEAS), told press that there will be a discussion on Syria among EU foreign ministers next Monday and there should be a conclusion adopted.

"There will be new additional sanctions against individual designation, whether personalities or entities," Vimont said, "There will be also a decision on the reinforcement of the arms embargo inspection. This has been done and has been agreed."

He said that the EU will ask member states to ensure the inspections of both sea vessels and aircraft traveling towards Syria.

"Syria will be discussed, not only because of the vote that took place yesterday in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), but there will be also another vote today," Vimont said.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton on Friday expressed her regret on Thursday's vote of the UNSC resolution on Syria.

"I deeply regret that, despite the serious deterioration of the situation in Syria, the members of the UN Security Council could not agree on a resolution to add more effective and robust pressure to end the violence in Syria and allow for a peaceful settlement of the conflict," Ashton said in a statement.

"The current escalating violence in the country requires urgent and united action by the UNSC and the international community to enforce Kofi Annan's peace plan," she said.

"I call once more all members of the Security Council to assume their responsibilities to end the bloodshed and suffering of the Syrian population."

Ashton said the EU will continue supporting Annan and his plan as the best solution to resolve the Syria crisis.

The EU has approved 16 rounds of sanctions against Syria since May 2011, which brings the total number of persons subject to sanctions to 129 while 49 entities are now affected by an EU asset freeze.